Anything to do with Pearl St is lame! Downtown Albany is So Over! I wish the SLA would hit Jillians and put downtown out of its misery! Id be interesdted but Pearl S as the location just sucks all the fun out of it!

Hardly My dear! I was at one time, A fun instution on Pearl street, but jealousy, envy and of course RACISM ruined that! But thats ok Because as as it all comes tumbling down(because really How much longer do you think Pearl st will stand) Im enjoying the Karma of it! simply put Lisa: Any event that is held on Pearl street cannot be taken seriously and that what sucks the fun out of it! Can you say immaturity and childishness!?

Marlon, you go to the wrong places, looking the wrong way and with the wrong people. I just had a hugely successful party at Jillian’s last Saturday, as a matter of fact, so successful that they asked us to do it again.

Goose, Night Cam already hit up Blue 82, although … a Speed Dating event would be a pretty sweet event to shoot. The only problem: a lot of times they turn media away when they’re filming/photographing these kinds of events because some of the participants are shy about getting “caught” speed dating.

I know someone who tried it out in Colorado and she said that it was fun, and compared it to when you meet someone in a bar for X amount of minutes and you’re intrigued…then they have to tend to their friends so your conversation ends and you’re left wanting more. The only difference is now you have to speak to the next Joe Schmo and your mind is still on the previous guy. Personally, I think it would be distracting and impersonal.

Goose I do everything the right way, did everything right in Jillians and other places downtown and still got treated wrong! So F- them plain and simple! But My personal experiences aside on Pearl st its time for a change in Albanys nightlife A higher level of quality and diversity, places where you can socialize and dress to impress instead of Girls gone wild central! And I think such A event would benefit from being elsewhere!

Michelle, I gave you a link in this post about our experience (a friend and I). The night wasn’t pretty. Read the piece.

Regardless, only you can decide if you want to go. The readers can say “go, go, go” but they don’t know. Frankly, I think these events can make for a fun(ny) experience, but they’re not the place to meet Mr. or Miss Right. They just don’t attract a good enough group — yet.

again Kristi, thats what my mosts are for the most part stating, the enviorment is a good part of it, and you arent going to encourage a good group of singes to come to A event in downtown Albany! because other than collegians most people avoid downtown like the plague!

My version of a speed date –
When I was single my very good colleague set me up with her brother. We were meeting for coffee and maybe a movie. I showed up at the place, saw the person I was supposed to meet, very nice, attractive, I introduced myself – he took his coat off – he was wearing a black t-shirt with Animal’s (the muppet) face on it. Date over.

I think I did permanent damage to my esophagus by drinking my coffee so fast. No movie.

Over in 12 minutes.

I think if I were single, and wanting to meet other singles (everyone I know says it is hard to meet people) I would do this.

I met my boyfriend through Speed Dating a little over a year ago. I was initially put on the waiting list for the event and forgot all about it until my cell phone rang the day of the event and the organizer told me a spot had opened up. I hesitated at first because it’s not exactly cheap and I already had plans that night but I had heard good things about speed dating from friends in other cities and decided to give it a shot.

I work downtown and didn’t have time to run home and change but I figured that at an event tailored for young professionals I wouldn’t look out of place in a suit. Wrong! All the girls were dressed up like they were out on the town. The first half hour I guess was for mingling but it resembled a middle school dance – girls on one side and guys on the other. Not sure if that was the plan but when I made a comment to a guy next to me at the bar all eyes darted in my direction as if I broke a sacred rule.

I would recommend eating beforehand. It’s a long night and they served snacks but having three drinks on an empty stomach was probably not my best idea.

Anyhow, of the 15 or so guys I met that night at least three of them I would have seen again and one I have been happily dating for a year. I will say this – the event was billed as single professionals between 25-34 but they obviously did no such screening. Several of the women and one man were obviously older and many were not what I consider professional. A friend that went to a subsequent event on my recommendation seconded that observation (but he did score two dates)

All in all it was exhausting talking to that many people in one night. And some people you will know immediately you don’t click with and are forced to make polite conversation for six minutes with them – which can seem like an excruciatingly long time. My voice was sore for three days. We got our matches online at midnight and my now-boyfriend had emailed me about an hour later!

The best thing I think about speed dating is that unlike a bar when you talk to someone you know that they are actually interested in finding someone and it’s much quicker than going through the motions of online dating. Good luck!